Retort cradle car



' May 21, 1929. G. A. COLMAN RETORT CRADLE CAR Filed April 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR 6201195 12 600mm ATTORNEY y 1929- e. A. COLMAN 1,713,689

RETORT CRADLE CAR Filed April 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T T T s I I 8 Patented May 21, 1929..

raiser oFFics.

GEORGE A. COLMA'N, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

RETORT CRADLE GAR.

Application filed April 23, 1928. Serial No. 272,061.

My invention relates to improvements in retort cradle cars of the type adapted to be loaded with material as lumber, and then wheeled into cylindrical retorts where the material is subjected to treatment while on the cars, the loaded cars being wheeled out of the retorts after the treatment is finished. The object of my invention is to improve and simplify the construction of retort cradle cars of this nature and to provide a retort cradle car which is shaped so as to afford the greatest possible carrying capacity in proportion to the size of the cylindrical retort into which the cradle car must enter and to make it possible to do away with bails or holding down chains of the form commonly used to keep the loads from floating out of place.

In treating railroad ties and similar timbers with creosote oil to render the same more durable in use, it is common practice to load the ties or timbers into retort cradles or cars, which are constructed especially for this purpose and which run on tracks, and to then wheel or trundle the loaded cradle cars into cylindrical retorts where the timbers are allowed to remain in the cradle cars while they are being subjected to the action of the hot creosote oils under pressure, after which the loaded cars are wheeled out of the retort, the timbers are unloaded and the cradle cars are ready for another load. The cylindrical retorts in which the treatment is carried out are expensive apparatus and each treatment requires several hours time to complete, so that it becomes very desirable to be able to utilize to the fullest possible extent the space within said retorts.

Retort cradle cars of a shape which con forms, in a general way, to the shape of the cylindrical retorts Within which the cars must enter, have heretofore been constructed, but none of these cars, with whichT am familiar, has permitted the space within the retort to be utilized to the greatest possible extent by making it possible to place on the retort cradle a symmetrical and substanti ally cylindrical load of timber, nor have they been heretofore constructed so as to make the use of bails unnecessary. With the previously mstructed retort cradles it been pr in i; ttbtui percent of the cubical content of the retort. With my present type of cradle I am able to utilize or fill with timber as much as SllitY-fiVG percent of the total space within the retort, thereby increasing the working capacity of a given retort by an amount equal to fiftcen percent.

I accomplish this object by providing a retort cradle having a sunken base or bottom which utilizes to the fullest extent the space within the bottom of the retort, and by providing sides or tram arms which conform to the cylindrical shape of the retort, except that those portions of the inner surfaces of said tram arms which project above a horizontal plane, which passes through the axis of the retort, are straight and vertical, thereby enabling me to make a very substantial gain in efficiency by an advantageous placing of the upper half of the load. The straight and vertical upper ends of the tram arms also prevent the load from floating out of place, since the upper part of the tram arms being parallel and vertical on the inner side from the center up permits the load. to float and return to its original. position without being disarranged.

The above mentioned general objects of my invention, together with others inherent in the same, are attained by the device illustrated in the following drawings, the same being a preferred exemplary form of embodiment of my invention, throughout which drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a plan viewof a retort cradle car embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same substantially on broken line 2, 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a view showing a retort cradle car in end elevation as it may appear with in a retort, shown in cross-section, the load carried by the cradle being indicated by dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings, I show two cradle members which constitute the two ends of the retort cradle and are designated generally by the numerals 5 and 6. Each of the" e nbers may be of 6 piece "51 at We up r at Wheel receptacles are provided below the shelf portions 8 and flanged wheels 11 of small diameter are mounted within the receptacles 10 by means of bearing pins 12, said bearing pins 12 extending laterally, whereby they may engage a flange 23 of a car retaining means. Flat metal bars 13, preferably four in number, extend between the base portions of the two cradle members and secure the same together. The ends of the bars 13 fit within suitable recesses 1n the cradle members and are secured thereto by rivets or bolts 14-. This leaves the top surfaces of the bars flush with the cradle' members. Two of the bars 13 connect the depressed base portions 9 of the cradle members and the other two bars 13 connect the shelf portions 8 of the same. Two other bars 15 and 16 connect .the respective'side arms 7 of the front and rear cradle members. These side bars 15 and 16 fit within notches in the arms7 so that they are flush with the surfaces of said arms. The lower portions of the arms 7 are of arcuate shape described from a center 17, which coincides substantially with the axis of the retort 18 within which the retort cradle is to enter. The side bars 15 and 16 are located substantially in the horizontal plane which passes through the center 17 and is indicated by broken line 19 in Fig. 4;. The inside surfaces 20 of the upper ends of the arms 7 abovethe horizontal plane 19 are straight and vertical, as shown, so that timbers, as railroad ties 21, may be built up vertically along said straight surfaces to a point above the ends of the arms 7 and may then be drawn in and laid to conform to the inside shape of the retor'tas shown in Fig. 4. The wheels 11 are adapted to run on rails 22, which may extend into the retort 18.

It will be noted that the wheels 11 are.

relatively low and are set into the cradle frames and that said frames are depressed between the wheels as at'9, thus affording an extremely low slung cradle in which substantially all of the space in the bottom of the retort is utilized. The arms 7 conform to the curvature of the retort, thus permitting the timbers to be loaded so that there will be little lost space between the timbers and the sides of said retort. The straight vertical upper ends of the arms terminate very close to the sides of the retort and permit the'timbers' to be continued vertically at this location and then rounded off thereabove to conform very closely to the shape of the retort, thus providing a load which occupies substantially all of the available space within the retort, and in which the upper timbers cannot become displaced and fall off, due to the tendency of the creosote oil to float the load. The timbers will usually have narrow cracks or spaces therebetween into which the creosote 011 may enter freely, thus hastening the creosoting process. I

, Obviously, changes may be made in the form, dimensions and arrangement of the parts of my invention, without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

I claim: '1. A cradle car for use in a-cylindrical retort, embodying a wheel supported base and sides arms extending upwardly from opposite sides of said base and curved arcu ately from a center which coincides substantially with the axis of the retort when the cradle car is positioned therein, the 1 upper ends of said side arms extending above the horizontal plane which passes through said center of curvature and the inner surfaces of said upper ends being sub stantially straight and vertical above said horizontal plane.

2. A retort cradle car for use in a cylindrical retort embodying a base, having a sunken central portion and having shelf projecting above the horizontal plane which passes through the center of curvature of said s de arms.

. 3. A retort cradle car for use in a cylindrical retort, embodying two spaced apart cradle members each comprising a wheel supported base, arcuate side arms extending upwardly from the sides of said base, bars securing the base portions of said two cradle members together and other bars securing the upper ends of said side arms of said two cradle members together. 7

4. A retort cradle car for use in acylindrical retort embodying a plurality of, spaced. apart cradle members, each comprising a baseihaving a sunken central portion and two higher shelfportions on opposite sides of the sunken center, wheels under said shelf portions, arcuate side arms extending upwardly from the sides of said shelf portions, longitudinally disposed bars securing the base portions of said cradle members together and other longitudinally extending bars securing the upper ends of said arcuate side arms together.

5. A retort cradle car for use in a cylindrical retort embodying a plurality of spaced apart cradle members, each comprising a base having a sunken central portion and two higher-shelf @OTtiOIlS located on opposite sidesof said sunken center, means forming Wheel receptacles beneath said shelf portions and alongside of said sunken center, heels mounted for rotation in said Wheel receptacles, Wheel bearing pins car- 5 ried by said Wheel receptacles, Wheels mounted for rotation on said pins, said pins having a lateral extension, car retaining means mounted in said retort, whereby said pin extension may engage said retaining means, and longitudinally extending cou- 10 pling means connecting said cradle members. The foregoing specification signed at Seattle, VVash. this 27th day of March, 1928.

GEORGE A. GOLMAN. 

